Glimmer

Call to action!

Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty- the icon of earthworks art movement is in danger. It seems that an oil drilling complex is slated to be put underwater in the Great Salt Lake near the jetty. The permits were passed sort of under the radar. TODAY Wednesday 30 Jan is hte last day to protest. This tells us what to say and where to send it. Even if Earthworks are not your favorite, history deserves to be preserved.

ATTN: Urban Picnickers

Buying handmade is still buying

Am I right or am I right? Every fall I get a little uppity about being forced to shop. When the Buy Handmade pledge was going around, I puzzled over the pledge's claim to be better for people and the environment. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Rob Walker of the New York Times recently published Jean Railla's article on the subject.

Comprehensive Puzzle Website

If you're interested in geometry, topology, mathematics, logic, carpentry, design, architecture, or...well, just about anything, you'll probably be interested in John Rausch's amazing Puzzle World. Besides a comprehensive index of mechanical puzzles, the site includes books and articles, a directory of working puzzle craftspeople, and links to all sorts of remarkable objects you can buy or just boggle at.

Los Angeles Craft Mafia

Los Angeles Craft Mafia is looking for vendors for an upcoming show on February 9th. This is a new event for Los Angeles, so expect to see some new vendors out and about. If you are interested in participating, visit the web site or pop by Saints and Sinners Lounge tomorrow evening and say hello.

Amazing Toys

The German company Naef Spiele AG makes beautiful wooden toys, many of which are based on classic dissection and solid-object puzzles. They are not cheap, but even just window shopping their catalog is a lot of fun.